


Dream Connection

by Zetal (Rodinia)



Series: Soulmate Dreams [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AU - Soulmates, M/M, dream connection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-09-27 06:23:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9980225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodinia/pseuds/Zetal
Summary: When you wake up on your 18th birthday, it's from dreaming of your soulmate.  Some dreams are better than others.Viktor's never paid much attention to his birthday.  It falls during Nationals.  Who cares about a birthday when there's a gold medal to win?  This one, though, this one is different.  Tonight, Viktor Nikiforov meets his soulmate.





	1. Chapter 1

Christmas Eve, 2006. Viktor will be eighteen tomorrow. He’s been looking forward to this day for years. Tonight, he gets to meet the most important person in his life. The entire Grand Prix season, he’s driven Yakov and his rinkmates crazy by being distracted, rambling on about who his soulmate might be. If it had just been that, Yakov would have been mad but his rinkmates would’ve just rolled their eyes and let the dreamer kid dream. The problem is that Viktor had made the Grand Prix Finals, and finished with bronze. The problem is that he held a commanding lead after the short program at Nationals. Distracted as he was, he's still kicking everyone else’s ass.

Just getting to meet his soulmate didn’t guarantee anything. If his soulmate was young, they might not be able to tell him much. His father had been sixteen years older than his mother. Meeting a two-year-old was not very helpful.

Yakov came to check on Viktor after dinner, concerned for his most promising skater. “Vitya, calm down. You still have to skate tomorrow, no matter what happens.”

Viktor gave him a genuine smile. “I know, Coach. Tomorrow, I will have my head on the ice. No promises about after that.”

Yakov nodded and put his hand on Viktor’s shoulder. “When you wake up tomorrow, come find me. Tell me what’s going on. The way you’ve been skating, you can probably take some time off to go looking if you get enough to go on. I hope things work out for you.”

“Thanks, Coach.” Yakov’s own soulmate hadn’t been what it was cracked up to be. Realistically, Viktor knew that soulmates didn’t work out sometimes, for reasons no one understood. He might be one of those. Being famous tended to make it harder to maintain a soul connection. Viktor was already well-known and, barring injury, had every reason to expect to just get even more famous over the next few years.

The romantic part of him, the side of him that he kept very carefully hidden behind a carefree playboy public face, told him that he’d give up everything if that’s what it took to make things work. He didn’t share that part of himself with very many people. Even his younger sister, a gymnast training in Moscow, had rarely seen it. Yakov and Lilia were the only ones left alive after his mother’s cancer and father’s heart attack.

Viktor got into bed early, causing his roommate Misha to laugh at him. “As wound up as you are, there’s no way you’ll get to sleep this early.”

“I’ll sleep. Don’t worry.” Yakov would be furious if he knew Viktor was drugging himself the night before a competition, but he had sleep pills to help deal with jet lag. His doctor, who either didn’t know or didn’t care about his competition dates, had recommended taking the maximum dose to give him as much time with his soulmate as he could get.

It worked. Viktor was asleep within minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor meets his soulmate.

The dream formed around him… an ice rink. That made Viktor smile. This one was more like the one his mother had taken him to when he was small than the one he practically lived at now. It was comfortable, it was familiar, and there was someone out on the ice. Viktor headed for the ice himself, carefully removing the blade guards. The person on the ice heard the clatter as he set them down, and pulled out of a spin to smile and wave.

Viktor took a moment to study the figure. The first thing that was obvious was that it was a boy. That wouldn’t go over well in Russia, but Viktor didn’t care. He was also, quite definitely, a boy, not a man. Viktor couldn't guess his age with much confidence, but he was pretty sure that at least he wasn’t two. He looked Japanese, which meant communication might be difficult. He'd just have to hope that somehow, the soul connection would figure it out. He started skating out to the boy. “Hello! Who are you?”

The boy shook his head. He said something in what Viktor assumed was Japanese, and when Viktor didn’t respond immediately, repeated it in halting English. “I'm sorry, I didn’t understand. Where are you from?”

“Russia. St. Petersburg.” Viktor stopped a few feet away. “Who are you?”

“My name is Katsuki Yuuri. I’m a figure skater from Japan.” Yuuri gasped as he got a good look at Viktor. “No need to ask who you are! You're Viktor Nikiforov! I started competitive skating in part because of you. I suppose it's probably pointless to ask for a photograph right now?”

Viktor laughed. "Seeing as you're not going to remember dreaming of me, you wouldn't remember the photograph. I'm happy to take one if you want, but... we should probably save that for when we actually meet."

"Yeah." Yuuri smiled shyly. “I’m not going to believe you when you show up. Just so you know.”

Viktor returned the smile. “Isn’t it usually the other way around, the media favorite has to fend off false soulmates who want a piece of their fame and fortune? What would I have to gain by pretending to be your soulmate?”

"Nothing aside from having a good joke. Not that you're like that, at least that I've ever read about. I'm, um... kind of a fan?" Yuuri’s face went serious. “In this case, I’m not going to believe it because I don’t think I’m good enough for you. They're already calling you a living legend, and I'm just a dime-a-dozen skater."

Viktor blinked. "I watched you skating. I find it hard to believe you're just a dime-a-dozen skater, Yuuri. It was captivating."

Yuuri blushed a little. "I have anxiety, and it messes with my self-esteem. I won fifth place in the Junior Nationals, which at my age is not bad, especially considering I started skating a bit later than most. I know that, but all I see when I think back are the jumps I missed, the spin I came out of too early.”

“At your age? How old are you?”

“Fourteen. My birthday is November 29th, so it’s pretty much the full four years." Yuuri picked at the cuffs of his jacket. "Is that okay? I know you'd probably prefer someone closer to your age...”

"It doesn't matter. I have faith in fate." Fifth in Nationals. That didn't sound dime-a-dozen to Viktor, even if Yuuri had the same opportunities as the skaters he'd grown up with. Which, apparently, he didn't. “Speaking of fate, do you want me to come find you now, or wait until you’ve had your dream?”

Yuuri didn’t hesitate. “Come find me as soon as you can without interfering with competitions. No offense, but you're not very good at keeping quiet when you're excited about something, and I need to hear about this from you. Not from the media or from my friend Yuuko. My family has an onsen in Hasetsu, in Kyushu. Yu-Topia. I can’t wait to meet you for real.”

“Good. Yu-Topia, in Hasetsu, in Kyushu.” Viktor repeated it a couple more times, knowing his own forgetfulness. “How do I convince you I’m real and that we met in this dream?”


	3. Chapter 3

Viktor awakened to Misha shaking him hard. “Viktor! You need to get over to the rink.”

“I’m awake.” Viktor stretched with a smile as he checked his phone. Misha wasn't kidding - he was supposed to be at the rink in ten minutes. Yakov was probably going to go nuts. “Told you I’d sleep.”

Misha just rolled his eyes and left. Viktor got everything together as quickly as he could, even though all he wanted to do was start making notes so he wouldn't forget. He'd promised Yakov, though, not to let this interfere with the competition. The sooner he got to the rink, the sooner he got through with his practice. The sooner he could sit back and write down as much as he could remember of what Yuuri had told him about himself.

Yakov scowled at him as he came in right at the appointed time. Once Viktor was changed, Yakov sat him down to braid his hair. “Where’s your head, Viktor?”

“Right now, it’s still with Yuuri." He patted Yakov's hand as he felt his coach pulling his hair. "I’m keeping an eye on the competition, I’ll know when it’s time to shove everything aside and focus. I promise.”

“Then what?” Yakov asked as he smoothed out the braid. "What happens when you win?"

“Then I have an exhibition to skate and a banquet to attend and probably interviews to do." Yakov's face clearly expressed his skepticism, making Viktor chuckle. "And then I’m taking a week off to go to Japan. I figure if I stick it out, play nice with the reporters and the officials and the sponsors for a couple days, you're more likely to actually let me take the time off. I know there's not that long before Europe.”

“Your soulmate is Japanese?” Yakov was still skeptical, which Viktor couldn’t blame him for.

Viktor pulled out his phone. A little searching while Yakov finished his hair led him to a JSF profile. “He's a skater. Figures my soulmate would love the ice as much as I do, doesn’t it?”

Yakov took the phone and looked through the profile. “Be careful with this. You know what’s going to happen when this gets out.”

“I know." And as Yuuri had pointed out to him, there was very little chance that Viktor didn't let it slip out. It wasn't going to be fun for Yuuri. "I’m still going to meet him, because he asked me to, and I’d rather he hear it from me instead of being suddenly thrust in front of the cameras with no warning. Can you imagine?” Viktor dropped his voice to imitate the accent the reporters used. “Katsuki Yuuri, how does it feel to have Viktor Nikiforov as your soulmate?” Higher-pitched, imitating a more boyish voice. “What? Who? He’s not my soulmate! He can’t be!” Back to normal. “At least I can talk to him in private, give him some warning and help him figure out what to say when they start asking. We talked forever last night.”

Yakov handed Viktor back his phone. “You talked. All night?”

Viktor rolled his eyes. “He’s fourteen, Yakov. I don’t care if it’s technically legal because of the soulmate stuff, it would just be weird. I don't want to put him through the process of proving we're soulmates, not yet.”

“Good.” Yakov softened, looking almost approachable. It weirded Viktor out a little. “I’m happy for you, Vitya. To have your soulmate reaching back to you… behave yourself, no crazy shenanigans, and you can go for the full week. Longer if you can find a way to practice.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interview time.

The hardest part was the interviews. The free skate was nothing. He’d done the routine a million times, he’d done well at his last competition and only improved since. The silver medal around his neck was unsurprising, though Viktor had the sense to be grateful for it. It would have been all too easy to let himself get distracted by Yuuri at just the wrong moment, even just for a second, and hurt himself or flub something so badly he couldn’t win. The banquet was boring, but not horribly so.

The interviews started off routinely enough. Congratulations on your silver, how do you feel about Europeans coming up, do you think you can improve on your bronze at Worlds.

When the interrogation started, it was subtle. “First off, Viktor, allow me to wish you a happy birthday. You’ve just turned eighteen, haven’t you?” one reporter asked.

“Yes! I’m quite looking forward to taking advantage of that, too. So many things that I can do now! Thank you for the well-wishes.”

The reporters laughed. “Of course the silver medal must be a nice birthday gift, but what else have you done to celebrate?”

“Nothing, really. With the Free Skate being on my birthday, there’s not really much I could do until after the medal ceremony. And now, of course, I’m rather tired and would honestly rather go to sleep than go out and celebrate. I'm sure someone warned me that spending all night in such an important dream would make me more easily tired than normal, but I have a bad habit of not listening to my coach, as Yakov will be glad to tell you." He winked to the reporters." Don’t worry! I’m sure I’ll have some fun over the next couple of weeks!”

“Any plans to find someone special?” one of the reporters asked with a bit of a smirk.

Ah. There it was. Viktor wasn’t an idiot. He’d known this was coming, and once he’d gotten everything he could remember about Yuuri written down, he’d started thinking about how to answer this question. Yakov had even helped. “I suppose that would depend on what you mean. Could you clarify the question?”

The reporter blushed just a little. Obviously she’d been hoping not to have to spell it out. “You’ve just turned eighteen, which means you’ve met your soulmate in a dream. Will you go looking for her in the real world, or do you think she’ll come find you?”

“Ah, yes. My soulmate. I’m sure everyone is curious, so I will tell you a few things.” Viktor dropped his usual carefree charm, staring the reporter dead in the eyes without a hint of a smile. “First, my soulmate is not Russian. Second, he is younger than me. For that reason, I hope that you will respect his privacy. And third, I care a great deal about him. I do intend to go find him, if for no other reason than to make sure he hears this from me instead of from outsiders.” The carefree charm came back with a grin and a wink. “After all, who would believe it if reporters showed up to tell them that I was their soulmate? It’s not like he’ll remember anything from our dream conversation!”

Viktor’s soulmate being a foreign boy should be a good enough story that Viktor could get off to Japan with enough time to find Yuuri before the press figured out where he was. There being hundreds of millions of boys under 18 who were not Russian should be enough to keep anyone from figuring out anything else about Yuuri. As much as Viktor would have liked to talk about Yuuri… he knew better. At least for now.

The reporters were all shocked, but the veterans rallied quickly. "Him? Your soulmate is a boy?"

"I've made all the comments I will make about my soulmate. If you want to talk about my skating, I'd be glad to stay and chat, but if not, did I mention I'm very much looking forward to some sleep?"

 

After the gala and the banquet, Yakov was able to convince Viktor to go back to St. Petersburg, to get what he’d need for a week in Japan. He also agreed to drive Viktor to the airport afterward, and promised to look after Makkachin. “I’ve watched the videos of your Yuuri skating. He’s got talent. Do you know who his coach is?”

“Nishigori Haru teaches him how to skate, but most of the coach things are done by Okukawa Minako, his…”

“The ballerina? Lilia danced with her, years ago. If he’s a student of Minako, that explains quite a bit about his dancing.” Yakov gave a short nod. “I’m interested in scouting him. You can tell him that.”

Viktor’s jaw dropped. “You never take on foreign students.”

“None of my skaters have ever had a foreign skater as a soulmate. This isn’t a promise, Vitya. If I don’t think he’s a good fit, then I’m not going to take him on. I am willing to scout, though.”

“Thank you.”

Yakov’s usual gruffness was back now. “The last thing I need is to take on another you.”

“There are no other mes out there!” Viktor winked. “Don't worry about me, Yakov. You should go keep an eye on the others. That new kid, Georgi… he seems high maintenance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of this chapter was originally not planned, but one of the most fun things ever is Viktor doing interviews. So have a Viktor Interview.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor meets Yuuri.

It was one thing to know where you’re going. It was another entirely to communicate that to people in a language you barely spoke. Yuuri had helped as much as he could, but there was only so much time in one night, and learning a completely different language was not going to be possible. Thankfully, Yuuri had said that his parents spoke enough English to handle tourists, and Viktor was fluent in English from years of skating.

He got to Hasetsu in the early afternoon. Yu-Topia was easy enough to find. He was greeted by a brown poodle that looked very much like a smaller version of his own Makkachin, whose barks brought out a woman. Hiroko, Viktor assumed. Once his room was settled, Viktor smiled at Hiroko. “The person who recommended this place told me to ask for katsudon. I’m not quite sure what that is, but…”

“It’s food. Are you hungry now?” Hiroko laughed at herself. “Of course you’re hungry now. You’re a young man. Do you want it now?”

Viktor’s stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten on the way out. “Yes, please.”

Hiroko pointed him to a table, and brought out a bowl of rice, egg, and pork. One bite was enough to have Viktor hooked. “Vkusno!” He finished off the bowl just as the door opened and three students walked in.

They stopped short when they saw him. Viktor recognized Yuuri, of course. The girl must be his friend Yuuko, and the older boy was probably Takeshi. Takeshi was the one to approach him, while Yuuko and Yuuri held onto each other’s arms and tried to hide their excitement. “Excuse me. Are you Viktor Nikiforov?”

“I am.” Viktor got up with a smile. “Nishigori Takeshi?”

“You… know me?” Takeshi stared at him suspiciously. “How do you know my name?”

“Yuuri told me.”

Yuuko smacked Yuuri on the back of the head. “Did you meet Viktor Nikiforov and NOT INVITE ME TO COME MEET HIM TOO?”

Yuuri shook his head in confusion. “N-no… I’ve never actually met Viktor.”

“He’s right, sort of, Yuuko,” Viktor said as Yuuko took a deep breath to scream at Yuuri some more. “Yuuri, it’s good to meet you in person.”

Yuuri’s eyes were huge as he looked back and forth between Takeshi, Yuuko, and his mother. “I have no idea what’s going on here. I would have told you if I’d ever spoken to Viktor, I swear. You know I'd have gotten something signed!”

“You don’t remember, Yuuri.” Viktor took a careful look at Yuuri. He didn’t really know what to look for in an anxiety attack, but so far, Yuuri seemed okay. “May I speak to you alone?”

Yuuri looked to Hiroko, who nodded. Viktor led Yuuri out to the hot springs – in January, they were empty. “I’m sorry for confusing you, but your friends and family should hear this from you, not me. You’re my soulmate. We met in my dream.”

“That’s… no… I can’t be your soulmate!” Yuuri shook his head and waved his hands in front of him. “Your soulmate is someone special, someone who…”

It was a good thing Yuuri had warned him this would happen. “Someone whose skating I hated to interrupt, even to finally get an answer I’ve been looking forward to since I was three and my mother told me about soulmates?”

Yuuri blinked. “I’m not… I’m just one of the dime-a-dozen skaters in Japan.”

“Not many dime-a-dozen skaters in Japan finish fifth in Junior Nationals at fourteen. Congratulations. You’ll do even better next year, I’m sure!”

“But…" Yuuri stared at Viktor. "This must be a dream. I must have dozed off in class. Oh, my teacher is going to be so mad at me… and I have exams!" The relaxed Yuuri disappeared, replaced by nerves. "I can't be sleeping in class now, not with the entrance exams coming up...”

“You’re awake, Yuuri. This is real.” Viktor looked at Yuuri in concern as the boy's breathing started to speed up.

For now, Yuuri was able to calm himself. “Why did you come to me?”

“Partly so that I could tell you myself instead of saying too much to the press and having them find you, but mostly because that’s what you said you wanted." Yuuri looked at him skeptically, so Viktor continued. "You said that even after dreaming of me, you’d probably never find the courage to come to me. I want to be your friend.”

“That’s not how soulmates work,” Yuuri said quietly.

Viktor blinked. This was not something Yuuri had prepared him for. Not that he expected Yuuri to be totally innocent, but in the dream, Yuuri hadn't ever brought up becoming romantically involved. “I want to be your friend right now. Later, when you’re ready, we can change that. I’m happy to wait. It’s better this way, being friends first.”

Yuuri’s breathing changed, becoming shallow and quick. “I… I can’t…”

Viktor caught him by his shoulders and helped him sit down. “Focus on breathing. Forget everything else going on, just breathe. Can you do that?” Yuuri nodded. “Okay. I’m going to get Vicchan.”

Viktor hadn’t quite made it back to the front room when a brown blur went past, followed by Yuuko. “I’m sorry! Vicchan just started going nuts.”

“Yuuri’s having an attack.”

“Oh!” Yuuko glared at him, hands on her hips. “What did you say to him?”

“That’s for him to tell you, when he’s ready. If you want to come out with us, that’s fine, or go inside and let his mom know about this.”

Yuuko decided to come along. The whole way, she watched him suspiciously. Once they were back out there, Viktor knelt beside Yuuri and Vicchan. Yuuri was breathing better, fingers tangled in his dog’s fur.

“Yuuri? What happened?” Yuuko asked.

Yuuri shook his head. After a few more deep breaths, he managed to say, “He says I’m his soulmate. There has to be a mistake.”

Yuuko’s eyes went wide and she clapped her hands over her mouth. “Yuuri, that’s amazing!”

“I… I was hoping it would be you.”

“Over Viktor? Don’t be an idiot, Yuuri!” She glanced over at Viktor. “Besides, that’s not a nice thing to say in front of him.”

Viktor winked and smiled. “It’s all right. He already told me, in my dream.”

“And you’re just… okay with that?” Yuuri got out through careful deep breaths.

Viktor shrugged. “You don’t even know me. From what I’ve heard, Yuuko sounds like a good person, and how can I blame someone for wanting a good friend to be their soulmate? If I had friends like Yuuko and Takeshi, I’d probably have hoped for them, too. It's not like you told me you'd rather have her than me!”

“I know you. Kind of. I’ve been following you since I was little. You’re why I started skating.”

“You know who I am when a camera’s on me,” Viktor corrected. “It’s a carefully constructed version of me. You should get to know the parts of myself I hide from the cameras.”

“Like how good you are with Yuuri’s anxiety?” Yuuko said.

Viktor chuckled. “This is all Yuuri’s advice. He knew how he'd react and told me to get Vicchan and try to be patient with him. I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Yuuri got to his feet as his breathing evened out. “If this is true, I’d have given you a message that would convince me. What did I say?

Viktor glanced quickly at Yuuko, but Yuuri just nodded. “You told me to tell you that right now, in addition to the usual bruises and scrapes that go with being a competitive figure skater, you have a burn on one foot that you promised your sister you wouldn’t tell anyone about.”

Yuuri's eyes widened. “I told you about that?”

“You told me about the burn. You didn’t tell me what happened or why you made that promise to your sister, and I didn't ask. You’re very careful to hide the burn from your parents and rinkmates, and blamed the limp on a blister from new skates.”

“Yuuri?” Yuuko reached out and rubbed Yuuri’s back as his breathing started to shallow again. Viktor picked up Vicchan and set him in Yuuri's arms.

“I’m okay. He’s… Mari wouldn’t have said anything to anyone. He couldn’t have known unless I told him about it.” Yuuri bowed to Viktor. “Soulmate.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri takes Viktor to Minako's studio.

Yuuri’s parents were surprised, but thrilled when Yuuri explained the situation. Yuuri’s sister, on the other hand, didn’t look happy at all. Yuuri gave Viktor an apologetic smile after Mari left. “Don’t mind her. Her soulmate… well. It was a bad situation. She’ll warm up to you, but she has a good reason not to be happy you’re here.”

Viktor had heard a lot of stories about soulmates gone wrong, but still, it was hard to hear about happening to someone he knew. “I never understood why we have soulmates if, even with that bond, things don’t work. I’d blame it on some people are just bad or lazy, but my coach and his soulmate couldn’t find a way to make it work, and they’re both good people.”

Yuuri shrugged. “I have no idea. I hope we can make it work… do you think we can?”

“I think so. It will be tough, especially for you, but I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe and happy.”

“I’ll try my best to not let anxiety get to me. It’s going to be hard doing this between countries, though. What even is the time zone difference?”

Yakov had looked it up for Viktor so that he could tell Viktor when to check in with him. Which he'd better do now. He sent Yakov a quick text letting him know that all was well. “Six hours. We’ll have to figure out when we can talk.”

Yuuri glanced at his watch and then jumped to his feet. “Oh, no! I’m supposed to be at Minako’s studio! I hope she’ll understand. Will you come with me so I can introduce you?”

Viktor got up as well. “Of course. I’m supposed to talk to her anyway.”

“About what?”

“She’s your coach, right?”

Yuuri scuffed his foot a little. “Sort of… I don’t exactly have a proper coach.”

“But she’s the one who takes you to competitions and stuff.”

“Yeah. She’s the reason I started skating at all, and Nishigori doesn’t know how to do any of the competition stuff.”

“My coach wants to scout you. Possibly bring you to Russia to coach, if he likes what he sees.”

Yuuri’s eyes got huge, and he took several tries before he managed anything Viktor could understand. “Yakov Feltsman wants to scout me?”

“He said to tell you that. If you came to St. Petersburg, that would make it easier for me to talk to you!” Viktor's face lit up in his signature heart-shaped smile.

“Why me? I’m not anything special, and Coach Feltsman only takes the best!”

“I don’t believe you’re nothing special." Viktor reached out and patted Yuuri's shoulder. "Honestly, Yakov’s looking at you for me, but he wouldn’t have offered a proper scouting if he hadn’t seen something he thought he could work with in the videos we found of your performances. And he won’t take you if he doesn’t think it’s a good fit for you both. I know that Minako is one of the reasons he’s interested.”

Yuuri blinked. “That doesn’t make any sense. Minako doesn't have anything to do with skating other than being my kind of coach.”

“Sure it does! From what we’ve seen, your strengths are your dancing and your step sequences, and being trained by a ballerina like Minako would explain that. I expect it helps with your spins, too, doesn't it?”

"I... I guess so. We'd better get moving, though. Minako's already probably worried."

 

When they got to the studio, Minako met them at the door with a hug for Yuuri. “What’s wrong? You’re never this late. You’re not in trouble at school, are you?”

“No. I’m not in trouble." Yuuri pulled back and indicated Viktor. "It’s just been a very weird afternoon.”

Minako's eyes narrowed a little. “I can see that. Go get changed.” Yuuri headed for the changing room.

“Hi! I’m…”

“You’re Viktor Nikiforov." Minako stared at him, and Viktor did his best to hold his ground. If she was worried about her student, Viktor didn't have any reason to fear her, did he? "What are you doing here?”

Reason or not, she was scary. Not quite Lilia intensity, but close. “I’m here for Yuuri.”

If anything, the glare became even more intense. “How do you even know Yuuri? He hasn't competed outside of Japan yet. Even if you paid attention to the Juniors who are too young to be thinking of moving up, you wouldn't have any reason to watch him.”

“I came out here to meet my soulmate. That’s Yuuri. I was so happy to find out that my soulmate is a skater too. And my coach knows of you. He’s interested in scouting him.”

Minako laughed, relaxing a lot. “Tell me this isn’t a ploy to try to win Lilia back. It’s not happening. If he’s genuinely interested in Yuuri, good, but I don’t think Lilia is going to come back even for my protégé.”

Viktor hadn't even considered that possibility. “I don’t know. All he told me is that he sees something worth scouting in Yuuri.”

Yuuri came out, dressed for ballet, and started warming up. “Do you do ballet, Viktor?” he asked.

“I’ve had lessons. Yakov’s a big fan of ballet.” Minako snorted. “I didn’t really put the same effort into it that I did into skating. When Lilia left, I didn’t try to find a replacement teacher. I was just as happy to give it up.”

Yuuri’s dancing was every bit as entrancing as his skating, and Viktor didn’t spend a second of the practice time bored. Minako encouraged Viktor to join them, and Viktor shrugged and decided to go for it. He was rusty, but it was fun. He couldn’t keep up with Yuuri, who had stamina very surprising in someone his age.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Sorry. I did not mean to be gone that long! I got this half-written, took what was supposed to be a day off because I felt like what I'd written was terrible and I needed to write something else for a while, and somehow that became over a week.
> 
> The good news: I'm on Spring Break, so I fully expect to be able to get back to updating every day.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor goes to skating practice with Yuuri.

Yuuri was gone when Viktor woke up the next morning. “School’s on break, so he’s spending as much time as he can at the rink,” Mari explained when he went looking. Several things struck Viktor about that. One: Yuuri was in an actual school instead of working with a tutor around practice. Two: unlike what Viktor remembered from when he was still in a real school, Yuuri looked at breaks as a chance to work hard, not to goof off and have fun. Three: Yuuri was skating and Viktor wasn’t there to watch or skate with him.

Viktor quickly set off to rectify the situation. The Ice Castle wasn’t hard to find. The woman at the desk only spoke Japanese, but managed to make Viktor understand that she would go get someone who spoke English. She came back with Yuuri.

“Oh! Hi, Viktor!” He turned to the woman and said something in Japanese, causing her to smile and shake Viktor’s hand. Yuuri turned back. “She says she’s glad to meet you, and you’re welcome any time as long as my coach says it’s okay. Come on back, I told him that you might be coming.”

Viktor followed Yuuri to the rink. Yuuko and Takeshi were on the ice, too. It was clear that Takeshi was nowhere near as good as Yuuri, but Yuuko looked like she might be rather impressive. “Do your friends compete?”

“Yuuko does. Takeshi used to, but he’s more interested in teaching than he is in competing. He joins us to help us improve. The rink belongs to his parents, and his dad’s sort of my coach. He does the actual skating part.” Yuuri smiled as he watched Yuuko practicing a camel spin. “Yuuko was sixth at Junior Nationals this year. They call her the Ice Castle Madonna. She’s even done some commercials and photoshoots.”

“Have you?”

Yuuri shook his head. “I've had a couple offers, but Minako won’t let me, not yet. I want to, because Mom and Dad could use the help paying for everything. That’s one reason I don’t have a proper coach, why I train here instead of one of the bigger rinks. I’ve got a couple sponsorships, but not nearly enough to not be a drain on my family if we had to pay a real coaching fee.”

Nishigori came over to see what was keeping Yuuri off the ice. “Wow. When Yuuri said Viktor Nikiforov might be coming by, I thought he was joking. Is it true you’re scouting for Yakov Feltsman?”

“Not exactly? Yakov’s scouting, and since I’m here I might as well help, but I didn’t come here for that.” Which reminded him. He dug out his cell phone. “Would you mind if I took some video of Yuuri skating?”

“Be my guest. If there’s anything I can do to help his chances, let me know. Yuuri needs a real coach, and if Yakov’s willing to do it, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win gold at the Grand Prix or Worlds.” Yuuri squeaked at that. “Yuuri, get back on the ice. Get Yuuko, practice your jumps. I’d like to see you landing your triple loop consistently before you go back to school.”

“Yes, coach!” Yuuri gave a quick bow and headed for the ice.

“The thing about Yuuri – the kid’s got talent. He’s no you, but he’s a lot more talented than he gives himself credit for. If you’ve seen him skate, you know that.” Viktor nodded. Maybe he wasn’t naturally gifted like Viktor, or the kind of student Yakov normally took, but he was definitely talented enough. “He works his butt off. School during the day, and then he’s either here or at Minako’s for hours. Then it’s home to do homework, sleep, get up in the morning and do it again. Weekends and breaks, we have to remind him that his body needs rest, too, and he has to take some time off just to avoid overworking himself.”

“Yakov will be delighted to have that kind of problem.” It’s not that Viktor and the others didn’t work hard. They did. But they were prone to goofing off, talking back when they got tired, and not shy about taking their days off.

“Aside from the lack of a real coach, the main thing holding Yuuri back is a lack of confidence in himself. This kid… you see him out there, working on his triple loop? He can nail a triple axel, almost every time. He’s got the power – he could be doing quads now. I haven’t even started letting him try, because most of his triples are still either shaky or hit-or-miss. He won’t need them until he’s a senior, no point in adding the stress to his body or his mind until then. He’s not even eligible for another year, and I doubt he’ll want to make the jump right away.”

“Sensible. I didn’t start doing quads until I was preparing for my senior debut.”

“What are you going to do about the payment issue? He hates the idea of asking for too much from his parents, and a coach like Yakov doesn’t come cheap.”

“Typically, Yakov will give a new skater up to six months to build up sponsorships. Given Yuuri’s unique circumstances – some of the sponsors Yakov usually works with wouldn’t sponsor a skater who’s not Russian – he’ll probably give him longer if he needs it. Worst-case scenario, I’ll sponsor him myself.”

“He’ll get a lot of interest from sponsors here in Japan. He already is. That should help make up for the Russians.”

“Quite likely.”

“Anyway. You probably want to get on the ice yourself, don’t you? I’m not going to presume to coach you, but go on.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yakov checks in with Viktor.

That afternoon, Viktor stepped off the ice when his phone rang. “Hello, Yakov!”

“Vitya. You sound out of breath. What’s going on?”

“I’m skating with Yuuri and his rinkmates. I helped Yuuri get more consistent with his triple flip, and he helped me figure out what I was doing wrong in my step sequence, that transition I was having trouble with.”

“Good to hear. I watched those videos you emailed me from this morning. What do you think?”

“Do you honestly think there’s a chance I say anything but that I think you should come out here?”

Yakov huffed. “I did think there was a chance you’d just tell me you were bringing him with you when you came back. You’re a bit impulsive sometimes.”

“Only sometimes? Wow! I must be growing up!”

Viktor heard the dull thump of Yakov's face meeting his palm. “Very important question, one you didn’t include in your email, Vitya. What languages does he speak?”

“Japanese and English, and a little bit of French. Yes, you will be able to talk to him.”

“Can I?”

“Hang on a minute.” Viktor checked with Nishigori, and then waved Yuuri over to the side of the rink. “My coach wants to talk to you.”

Viktor tried not to listen in too much as Yuuri spoke to Yakov, but he overheard a few things. Yuuri talking about Minako, telling Yakov which jumps he was confident in. Viktor had to laugh at one thing Yuuri said: “Yes, sir, Viktor has been very polite.” Apparently Yakov didn’t believe it, as Yuuri had to add, “How would I know? You’ll have to ask him, but I don’t think he’d tell you if he’s an impersonator…”

Yuuri handed the phone to Nishigori and skated back out to Viktor. “Your coach doesn’t believe me that you’re behaving yourself.”

“I’m not surprised. I’m hardly a model skater. He swears half the hair he’s lost has been because of me.”

“Really?”

“I talk back to him, don’t always listen when he tells me to do something – or more often, when he tells me not to. I sneak out during competitions to go have some fun in a strange city. I’m irresponsible and headstrong. He was honestly afraid that I’d skip my free skate at Nationals to come find you.”

Yuuri stared at Viktor, mouth hanging open. “They never say anything like that in the articles!”

Of course they didn't. “Like I said, the Viktor you know is very carefully crafted. I'm supposed to be a national hero. No one wants to hear what I'm really like, they want to hear that I'm what they expect me to be. I’m good at interviews, at charming sponsors, but off the ice and away from the cameras, I’m not the... what are they calling me now? Playboy?”

“How do you do it? That sounds exhausting!”

Viktor winked. “Less exhausting than spending all day at the rink or a ballet studio! I don’t know how you do what you do.”

“I don’t spend all day at the rink or studio! I have school, and I take days off. I like going to the ocean, when it’s warm enough.”

Nishigori waved Viktor over and handed him back the phone. Viktor had barely gotten it to his ear when Yakov said, “I’ll be in Japan on Saturday. Make sure Yuuri knows I’m coming.”

“Yay! Thank you, Yakov!” He looked over to Yuuri and held out a thumbs up.

“Pay me back by continuing to behave yourself. If Nishigori or Minako tell you to do something, or not to do something, listen to them. Don’t scare Yuuri off with your dramatics.”

“You wound me, Yakov. I’ve been waiting eighteen years for this, you think I’m going to scare him off in two days?”

Yakov didn't hesitate. “Yes. You would.”

Viktor couldn't argue, so he changed the subject. “Anything from the media yet?”

“They know you’ve left Russia, the assumption is that you’ve gone to find your soulmate, but they don’t know where to look. With luck, they won’t figure it out until I go out there.”

"Good. See you soon!"


	9. Chapter 9

After practice, Yuuri took Viktor on a tour of Hasetsu. “There’s not really much here. A couple of onsens like my family’s, the Ice Castle, Minako’s studio, the school – it’s all in one building, it’s not separated into elementary school and high schools like it is in bigger cities. There’s not enough kids to make it worth it.”

Viktor pointed to the most obvious building. “What’s that one, up on top of the hill?”

“That’s the castle. Well, they call it a castle, but it’s actually a ninja house.”

“Really? Ninjas!?” Viktor took off running. Yuuri was right behind him, laughing at him. The museum was about to close for the day, much to Viktor’s disappointment.

“It’s okay, Viktor, you said you’re here for a week. We can come tomorrow morning, when they open the rink for public skating. It’s hard to practice properly when you’re dodging small children anyway.” Viktor brightened up considerably, and Yuuri smiled. “You really are a different person with the cameras off. I would never have thought you’d get this excited over a museum.”

“It’s a ninja museum, Yuuri! Do you know how cool ninjas are?”

Yuuri shrugged. “I know a lot of games have ninjas for no apparent reason, but… I don’t get it.”

“Maybe next season I’ll get to skate the ninja routine I’ve been wanting to do since I was thirteen. Yakov keeps saying no.” Viktor sighed. “Wouldn’t that be cool, though?”

Yuuri thought for a moment. “What would your theme be? If you did something like honor or stealth or violence…”

Viktor hugged Yuuri briefly. “You’re a genius!”

“I’m a hungry genius. Let’s go get supper. There’s a ramen place that’s pretty good!”

 

Over dinner, Yuuri helped Viktor plan his ninja free skate. They were in the middle of discussing musical inspirations when two teenage girls approached the table. Viktor immediately straightened up and put on his “meet the fans” smile.

He was promptly proved right in his instinct. “Viktor Nikiforov?”

“Hai!”

The girls started squealing in Japanese. Viktor looked to Yuuri, who sighed and said something to them. Viktor couldn’t follow the conversation, but he could see Yuuri growing uncomfortable.

After some back and forth, Yuuri turned to Viktor. “They saw a translation of your interview online and want to know if you came to Hasetsu to find your soulmate.”

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Tell them whatever you want to.”

Yuuri nodded to the girls who squealed again. He translated, “Have you met her yet?”

“Her? I thought they said they read the transcript.”

Yuuri reddened. “They left out or changed everything you said about your soulmate except for the request to respect privacy. In Japan, it’s considered rude to discuss your soulmate until you’ve met them.”

“Oh! I’m sorry.”

“It’s different for Westerners. I read the English version, too. What you said was fine.”

Yuuri spoke to the girls, who looked a little disappointed. One of the girls said something, and Yuuri got even more uncomfortable. “What’s wrong?”

“I told them that you had found your soulmate, and they asked why you were with me instead of her. Then they asked if I was here as a translator because your soulmate doesn’t speak English, and where she was.”

“Is it that unusual for someone to have a same-sex soulmate in Japan?”

“I don’t think it’s any more unusual here than anywhere else. It’s just that it’s me.” Yuuri bit his lip, and Viktor could see the tears starting to form.

“I don’t understand. You’d think out of everyone in Hasetsu, the nationally ranked figure skaters would be the obvious choices, wouldn’t you?”

“Yuuko, sure. But I’m not a nationally-ranked figure skater to my classmates. I’m the piggy who spoke more English than they ever will by the time I was twelve, but struggles to keep up in other subjects, and gets to leave early or skip school all the time anyway.” Yuuri took a deep breath and turned back to the girls. They looked shocked as Yuuri said something. “I just told them that I’m your soulmate. They don’t seem to believe me.”

Viktor reached across the table and took Yuuri’s hand, making sure the meet-the-fans smile was in place. He tried to remember what Yuuri had taught him. In Japanese, he told the girls, “My soulmate.”

One of the girls reached into her bag and came up with a notebook and a Sharpie. “Autograph? Please?”

“Of course!” Viktor took the Sharpie and signed the paper the girl had ripped out, and the cover of the notebook. The girls bowed, thanking him, and then left. As soon as they were gone, Viktor’s bright smile was replaced with a look of concern mixed with anger. “Are you all right, Yuuri? I’m sorry. They were rude to you.”

“They always are. I pretty much keep to myself, other than Yuuko and Takeshi. It’s okay that I told them, isn’t it?”

Viktor smiled, a much realer smile than the one he’d had for the girls. “It’s okay. I’d be perfectly happy to call a press conference and introduce you to the world as my soulmate, but you said no. Or at least, not yet.”

“Why, though? I’m just a dime-a-dozen skater, and you’re… you.”

“I wasn’t me when I was fourteen either. You’ve got enough potential that Yakov’s coming out here, and it’s not to drag me back to Russia. I’ve skated with you. I hope to continue skating with you for a very long time to come. Can you imagine the fun the reporters will have when we’re battling for gold in the Olympics, or the Grand Prix Finals?”

Yuuri blushed, but he was smiling, too. “You think I can get there? The Grand Prix Finals? You have to be among the best in the world!”

“I know you will.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hasetsu is invaded and Viktor officially introduces Yuuri as his soulmate.

The ninja museum was everything Viktor dreamed it would be. Yuuri spent most of the time laughing at him as he ran excitedly from one exhibit to the next, taking millions of pictures and talking about his ninja free skate. Then Viktor found the gift shop.

Yuuri took one of the bags from Viktor. “Okay, now I feel better about showing you my collection.”

“You have a ninja collection?”

“No, it’s…” Yuuri blushed. “I did mention I’ve been a fan of yours ever since I first saw you skate, right?”

“Yes. What’s that got to do with ninjas? There won’t be ninja merchandise of me until after I skate the program.”

“It’s… oh, I’ll just show you when we get back.” Yuuri looked inside the bag. “You know they’re not going to let you wear a ninja mask on the ice, right?”

“I know. I still have no idea what to do with my hair. I can’t cover it, and I’m pretty sure Yakov would have a heart attack if I shaved it off…”

“You’d cause an international catastrophe from millions of hearts breaking all at once. Your hair’s kind of a big deal.”

“I know! I… shit.” Viktor came to a stop as they approached Yu-Topia.

Yuuri stopped too. “What’s wrong?” Viktor pointed. There was a small crowd standing around the entrance, many of whom carried cameras or microphones. “Oh.”

“They found me. They’re looking for me, they may not know about you yet, if you want to hide at the Ice Castle or Minako’s I’ll distract them while you run.”

Yuuri looked tempted for a moment, but he shook his head. “The Ice Castle is the first place they’d look for you after here, so I bet there are people there, too. If they do know about me, then they probably know about Minako. If I stay with you, I’ll feel safer.”

“Okay. Do you recognize any of them from press conferences or anything?” Yuuri shook his head, and Viktor sighed. “Okay. You’ll probably want to make a friend in the press, someone you can trust to respect your boundaries. It’s easier that way.” Viktor checked the time and pulled out his phone.

Yakov called while Viktor was finding the number. “If you haven’t already, expect to start seeing reporters. Some girl posted about meeting you on her MySpace, and it’s gotten spread around to where Misha saw it.”

That explained how this had happened, then. “Thanks, Yakov. I haven’t talked to them yet, but I see them. What did they say?”

“They said they spotted you at dinner, and that you played along with a fan’s joke about being your soulmate. They called Yuuri a fat pig and a loser.”

Viktor closed his eyes, forcing himself to stay calm. Yakov was only repeating what others had said, and he wasn’t doing it to hurt Viktor or Yuuri. He wanted Viktor prepared if a reporter asked for a comment on that. “Thanks, Yakov. Anything else I should know before I go over there?”

“No. Behave yourself.”

Viktor hung up, and took a moment to compose himself. “Yuuri, they found us because of those girls last night.”

“So they know about me.”

“And their source said that I’m playing along with a joke you’re pulling, because…”

“A fat piggy loser can’t possibly be your soulmate.” Yuuri sighed. “Like I said, I’m used to them.”

“Where does the fat part even come in? You look fine to me.”

“I gain weight easily. During competition season, I’m fine, but in the spring and summer I put on weight. And I was a really chubby kid. I'm sure Mom has pictures she'd love to show you.”

“Okay. Are you ready?”

“No, but if you wait for me to be ready we’ll be standing here forever.”

Viktor smiled. “Come on then.” His smile changed, becoming his very best media charmer. He and Yuuri walked out, and Viktor whistled to the media. “Hello! Are you looking for me?”

“Viktor! So you are here! What brings you to Japan?”

“Didn’t you pay attention after Nationals? I told everyone exactly where I was going!” Viktor winked.

“So your soulmate is here? Have you met him yet?”

“I have. His name is Katsuki Yuuri, and he’s a figure skater. Fifth place at Junior Nationals!” He put a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder.

“Are you happy? Do you wish you’d gotten someone else?”

“So far, my biggest complaint about him is that he doesn’t understand just how cool ninjas are. He still took me to see the ninja museum here!” Viktor pulled the plastic ninja sword out of the bag Yuuri was carrying. “I’m very happy. He has been amazing. His family and friends were a little wary at first, as they should be, but they’ve been very welcoming now that Yuuri’s convinced.”

“Do you have anything to say about the comments made on MySpace?”

“Yes, I do. First of all, you can see for yourself that he is clearly not fat. Even if he were, I don’t see how that makes him any less of a person. They call him a loser, but he took fifth place in Nationals. When I was fourteen, I think I came in eighth. If fifth makes you a loser, I guess I must be one, too.”

Yuuri tapped his shoulder and whispered to him. Viktor nodded. “My apologies. I was seventh.”

“So he’s a fan?”

“Is that surprising? A lot of people are my fans! Saved quite a bit of time, too, because I didn’t have to explain who I was.”

“So he really is your soulmate? This isn’t some sort of prank or publicity stunt?”

Viktor hid it well, but he was thoroughly offended. Soulmates were sacred, not something to pull pranks or publicity stunts about. He hated seeing those, and had sworn he would never do that. He hadn't exactly kept quiet about it in the press, either. “This is not a prank or a publicity stunt. I would never do that to someone.”

“How do you feel about your soulmate living so far away from you?”

“It will make things difficult, but we’re working on how to get around that. My coach is willing to work with me to give this a chance.”

The interview was interrupted by a brown barking blur running toward them. Yuuri crouched and caught Vicchan. “How did you get out, boy?” Vicchan barked again. “Come on, then. Back inside with you.”

“Your dog looks like Victor’s Makkachin.”

“Much smaller, though!” Viktor said. Yuuri disappeared with Vicchan, leaving Viktor to handle the reporters alone. “Once again, I will remind you all that Yuuri is fourteen and only just starting out. Japanese culture believes in privacy, and I ask that you respect that. I’m happy to talk about myself as long as you want me to, but I will not be answering questions about Yuuri.”

Fifteen minutes later, the reporters dispersed, and Viktor went inside. He found Mari waiting for him. “Yuuri’s in his room with Vicchan. Go on up.”

“Thanks, Mari.” Viktor went up and knocked on Yuuri’s door.

Yuuri opened the door. “That wasn’t as long as I thought it would be. Did you say anything I should know about?”

“No. Well, yes, in the sense that as my fan you’re probably interested in my thoughts on the competition at Europeans this year and as my soulmate you might like to know about my summer plans, but we didn’t talk about you after you left. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. I needed to get out of there, but I’m fine now.”

“How did Vicchan get out?”

Yuuri smiled as he stroked the poodle’s fur. “Mari sent him. I don’t know how, but he knows when I’m starting to get too stressed out.”

“Dogs are wonderful that way. Makkachin is very good at cheering me up when I get too lonely.”

“Lonely? You? How?”

“I have rinkmates and fans, but Makkachin is my only real friend. You probably know that my parents are both dead, and I haven’t talked to my sister for more than five minutes since she moved to Moscow eight years ago for her own training.”

“Wow. I guess… I never really thought about that. You’re always surrounded by people.”

Viktor nodded. “It will be better now! Even if you don’t end up coming to St. Petersburg with me and Yakov, we can still find a way to talk regularly, and there’s always email and texting.” He looked around, finally noticing the posters. “Is this the collection you were telling me about earlier?”

Yuuri went bright red. “Yeah. It’s… I hope you don’t think it’s creepy. You inspire me, and a couple years ago when I was thinking of giving up skating, I watched the Junior Worlds with Yuuko. That’s when I first saw you. Ever since, whenever skating seems too hard or the kids at school start getting to me, I just remind myself that if I keep working, someday I’ll skate on the same ice as you.”

Viktor hugged Yuuri. “I don’t think that’s creepy at all! Promise me you won’t give up until we’ve shared a podium, okay?”

“I promise. Someday, we’ll be on a podium together. I’ll work as hard as I have to to get there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri's not hiding his collection because at this point, aside from Vicchan, it's still a reasonably normal "I admire this guy and he inspires me" collection of Viktor merchandise.
> 
> If you noticed, I made this a series. If there are ships you'd like to see in this 'verse, let me know in the comments! Not promising to write every suggestion, but if it's not a NOTP and I can come up with an idea, I probably will.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yakov arrives. Yuuri spends most of the day running on nerves.

Yakov arrived Friday morning. Viktor and Yuuri met him at the airport. Viktor waved when he spotted the hat. “Hello Yakov!”

“Vitya." Yakov accepted the hug from his skater. "How bad are the reporters in Hasetsu?”

Viktor shrugged. “They’re still there, although considerably fewer than there were a couple days ago. They’ll probably spot us immediately.”

“Of course they will.” Yakov looked Yuuri over. “Shorter than I expected. Any idea when you’ll hit growth spurts?”

“Dad said he started growing around seventeen, and had his last one at nineteen.”

“So right when you’d be looking to move up to seniors.”

“I know.” Yuuri inched a little closer to Viktor.

Yakov harrumphed. “For you, that might be a good thing. It lowers expectations for your senior debut.”

“Not mine. I’m still going to be trying to do my best.”

“Good.” He looked to Viktor. “What’s the plan?”

“First thing that’ll happen when we get to Hasetsu is that we’ll have to deal with reporters. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re waiting at the train station for us. Once we’ve gotten rid of them, we’ll go to Yu-Topia for lunch so you can talk to Yuuri’s parents. The Nishigoris are closing the ice rink at 3, and we’ll go over there around 3:30 so they have a chance to clear out stragglers and clean up the ice a bit. Minako says her studio is available any time, if you want to see him dancing off the ice.”

On the train, Yakov interrogated Yuuri on how he got into skating, how he’d learned, what he thought of his current coaching setup. For the most part, he just listened to Yuuri’s answers without commentary. “Have you ever thought about quitting?”

Yuuri nodded. “When I was twelve. I was having a really bad time at school, and I wasn’t sure if I was good enough. I was struggling to keep up with other kids my age in competitions.”

“Considering you started at ten, that’s not surprising. What made you decide to keep skating competitively?”

Yuuri went red and couldn’t even look at Yakov. “Viktor. I saw him skating at the Junior Championship.”

Yakov shot Viktor a skeptical look. “How did that help? Viktor is a rare talent.”

“I know. I thought that if I worked hard enough, learned as well as I could, then maybe someday I could skate on the same ice as him.”

“And now Viktor’s your soulmate. How does that affect your ambition?”

Now Yuuri looked up, meeting Yakov's eyes. “Now I want to prove that those girls who started this Internet stuff are wrong, that all those people saying things about me and Viktor on the internet are wrong. I want to prove that I do deserve this, even to myself. I want to make Viktor proud of his soulmate.”

That got a rare smile out of Yakov. “That won’t be hard. Making Viktor proud, I mean. He already was on his birthday.”

 

As predicted, reporters were waiting for them at the train station. “Are you here to take Viktor home?”

“No. I’m here to scout Katsuki. Viktor showed me his profile, and after watching videos of him skate, I thought he showed promise. Viktor and I have been talking, and I decided it was worth coming out in person.”

“Will you actually take him on?”

“That will depend on what I see while I’m here. I have no further comment at this time.”

Minako joined them for lunch, both to answer Yakov’s questions for her and to help Hiroko and Toshiya communicate with Yakov. Yakov was suitably impressed with the katsudon, but other than that, gave no indication of what he was thinking. After lunch, Yakov decided to take a nap before going to the rink.

“A nap? Yakov, you’re getting old,” Viktor teased.

“All your fault, Vitya. I’ve aged fifty years in the last ten.”

“You have. It’s quite disconcerting.” Yakov disappeared.

Once Yakov was out of sight, Yuuri let out a long breath. “You’ve been with Yakov for ten years?”

Viktor nodded. “In Russia, it’s not so unusual for promising athletes to leave their families and move to other cities very young for the opportunity to train with an elite coach. I was eight when I started training under Yakov. My parents already lived in St. Petersburg, so I didn’t have to leave them, but my sister moved to Moscow when she was seven for gymnastics. There’s a girl Yakov’s been watching that I think will be starting with us when she turns nine this summer.”

“Can you tell what he’s thinking? At all? He’s kind of scary.”

“He’s not scary once you get to know him. I promise. You’ll see.”

 

At the rink, Yakov sent Yuuri to warm up while he talked to Nishigori. Yuuri went through both of his routines for the season, and then went through various skills under Yakov’s direction. Jumps, spins, compulsory figures – Yakov looked a little surprised when Yuuri not only knew what he was being asked for but performed them cleanly.

“Hey! Yakov! Watch this.” Viktor put on the music from the first program of his that Yuuri had ever seen. Yuuri skated the program. He messed up a couple of the jumps and deliberately did easier jumps where Viktor had done quads, but Viktor could see the surprise in Yakov’s eyes when Yuuri nailed the triple axel.

Yakov turned to Viktor. “That was planned. Freestyle him.”

Viktor got a huge grin on his face as he waved Yuuri over. “This is a tradition at the rink. I don’t know how long we’ve been doing this, but it’s fun. Once every other week, more often in the off-season, we take time out from our serious practices to goof off. We pick songs for each other, and whoever’s turn it is has to come up with a program on the ice. There are no required elements, you don’t ever have to jump, or spin, or do anything you don’t want to. The only rule is that you don’t quit skating until the song’s over.”

“O-okay…”

“Don’t worry too much. Just have fun. Half our exhibition skates start off this way!” Yuuri skated out to center ice, and Viktor scrolled through his iPod. He paused for a moment on “SexyBack”, but decided against it. Instead, he picked a song that he’d downloaded to throw at Misha, “Animal I Have Become”. Yakov raised an eyebrow at him, but Yuuri started skating. For a first try at the improv game, it wasn’t bad, and Yuuri even looked like he was having fun as he landed another triple axel. The song ending caught him a little by surprise, so the ending pose wasn’t exactly great, but that happened to all of them.

“Not bad for a first try. How are you feeling, Yuuri?”

“Um… I’m good?”

“Are you getting tired?”

“No, sir. I could use a quick break, but I’m not anywhere near needing to quit for the day.” Viktor handed Yuuri a bottle of water, which he drank half of in one gulp. “What’s next?”

“We’re headed for the studio. I’d like to see your ballet.”

At the studio, Yakov told Yuuri to just do whatever he would normally do. While Yuuri danced, Viktor joined him, since he could without interfering, and Yakov talked to Minako about Yuuri and Lilia. Viktor dropped out when he was starting to get tired, and Yakov called for Yuuri to go ahead and quit too. “I’ve seen what I need to see. Let’s get dinner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you missed it yesterday, this has been made into a series. If there are ships you'd like to see in this 'verse, let me know in comments! I won't promise to do all of them, but if I can come up with a good idea, it's likely.


	12. The Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri takes his talents to South Beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who don't get the reference: "The Decision" was a 2010 TV special where LeBron James announced what he would be doing as an unrestricted free agent (he could sign with any team). It was 75 minutes long, and he announced that "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach" and sign with the Miami Heat. Most people saw it as a giant ego trip for LeBron, and the phrase became a meme.

After dinner, Viktor couldn’t contain himself. “You said you’ve seen what you need to see. What’s the decision?”

“Calm down, Vitya.” Yakov looked at Yuuri, who was shaking a little. “Yuuri. As far as your skating goes, I’m sure you know that you are going to need to put in a lot of work before you get anywhere near able to compete with Vitya.”

“I know.”

“I came out here to confirm what I thought I’d seen in the videos, and I did.” Viktor brightened a lot. “Your jumps are all over the place – not everyone your age can even get the power for a triple axel, let alone land it cleanly, but every fourteen year old I’ve ever worked with has been consistently landing at least the triple toe loop and salchow, usually at least one of the flip, loop, or Lutz. The more headstrong ones, like Viktor, are even starting to work on quads.”

“Which you always said put too much stress on the body too young, and you didn’t want to encourage juniors to do,” Viktor interrupted.

Yakov glared at him. “Vitya. Did you listen to me when you were fourteen?”

“No. But I’m not Yuuri! He listens.”

“Exactly. So shut up. We’re talking about Yuuri, not you.”

“Fiiiiine.” Viktor sat back with his arms crossed.

Yakov turned his attention back to Yuuri, and the annoyance disappeared. “I’m sure you also know your strengths. I’ve coached seniors who couldn’t match your step sequences, and I would not be surprised to see you get perfect performance scores on good days. I assume Minako does your choreography?”

“Yes.”

“It shows. There’s a very strong ballet influence. I would recommend that you branch out, learn some other forms of dance, just to expand your range. I don’t imagine Viktor would be content with a soulmate who sets limits on himself like that. As his fan, I’m sure you’re aware of how much he likes to surprise his audience.”

Yuuri nodded. Viktor didn't like being used to make Yuuri feel bad, though. “I thought we weren’t talking about me.”

“ _Vitya_. The only reason you’re still here is because you’re his soulmate. I can and will send you to bed if you don’t stop interrupting.” Viktor stuck his tongue out at Yakov, but otherwise kept his mouth closed. “Yuuri, as far as your skating is concerned, you have the potential to compete at the highest levels. If you find the right coach, take care of yourself to avoid overworking your body, and continue to develop your skills and your performances, I have no doubt you will take medals at the Worlds, in the Grand Prix, in the Olympics.”

Viktor threw his arms around Yuuri. “I told you! And you can't possibly believe he’s just saying that because you’re his soulmate.”

“He also said ‘find the right coach’, Viktor.” Yuuri gently pried Viktor’s arms off of him. “Does that mean you don’t think you’re the right coach?”

“I’m not sure if I am or not. No matter what, when you find a real coach, things will be very different for you. If you come to St. Petersburg with me and Viktor, it means no more school the way you’re used to. Tutors, online classes, working your schoolwork around your skating instead of the other way around. You could get the equivalent of a Russian high school diploma, I know what to do for that, but I don’t know about a Japanese diploma. You would need to learn Russian. At the rink, with the older skaters, we mostly speak English, but you can’t rely on me or Viktor or the other skaters every time you want to go see a movie or go to the store for groceries. Moving to a foreign country is a lot to ask of anyone, and you’re so young. Your family and friends have lives here, and likely wouldn’t be able to come with you.”

“I would,” Minako said. “For a while, anyway. Mari can run the bar, and I know a dancer who owes me a few favors and wouldn’t mind taking care of my studio while I’m gone.”

Yakov smiled, but it faded into seriousness again quickly. “The rink would also be very different from here. For one thing, it would be a lot louder. I am not a nice coach. If I think you’re being an idiot, I will let you know it. If you’re doing something wrong, I will let you know it. I don’t expect this to be a problem with you, but I spend at least half an hour a day shouting at Viktor, and another half hour shouting at various other skaters.”

“Hey! I’m not that bad!” Yakov glared at Viktor, and he held up his hands. “Sorry. I’m not, though.”

“Here’s the deal, Yuuri. I think you can do this. I know that if you can adjust to the different environment, I can take you as far as you’re willing to work to go. What I’d like to do is bring you out in April, after Worlds, with the idea that you’re there for four months on a trial basis. If it doesn’t work out, I won’t be offended. My coaching style doesn’t work for everybody. If it weren’t for Viktor, I’d be recommending a different coach for you, a coach I highly respect and think would be good for you. If you’re not happy or don’t think my rink is right even with Viktor there, I will personally recommend you to him. How does that sound?”

Yuuri swallowed hard, looking between his parents and Viktor. When he looked back to Yakov, his eyes were sparkling with determination. “I think that sounds like a good plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's almost over - probably 2-3 more chapters. If you have suggestions for other ships you'd like to see set sail this way, let me know in comments!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goodbyes are hard.

Yakov went back to Russia the next day, having given Viktor permission to stay an extra week. Viktor watched the news sites, and sure enough, articles started popping up about Yakov’s trip almost immediately. It was mostly speculation – Yakov had acknowledged scouting Yuuri, but the reporters hadn’t gotten answers out of him about the conclusion.

“Yakov returned alone instead of taking Yuuri with him. Therefore, we must conclude that Yuuri failed to impress,” Viktor read from one. “I guess he’s kicking me out too, since I stayed behind too.”

“No, you stayed behind to console me for my broken heart,” Yuuri said. “That’s what this one says, anyway.”

“They’re not all bad! Listen to this: Having watched Yuuri skate, it’s my opinion that Yakov likely intends to take Yuuri. After all, Viktor’s still in Japan. You can’t expect to pack for an international move in one day!’” Viktor set down his phone and reached out to squeeze Yuuri’s hand. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” Yuuri squeezed back. “The reporters, I don’t mind. It’s the comments. I know I shouldn’t read them, but it’s like… it’s like when I hurt my ankle. I know it’s going to hurt when I poke it, but I just have to poke it to make sure it still hurts.”

“The commenters don’t know you. Everyone who knows you knew that Yakov wasn’t leaving here without either taking you on or recommending someone he thought was a better fit.”

“I didn’t know that…”

“But you do know you have a tendency to underestimate yourself?”

“And you and my family and Minako think I’m better than I am.”

“We’re just trying to believe in you hard enough to make you believe it too, Yuuri. To overcome the voice in your head telling you you’re not good enough. Maybe it’ll never work, but I’m never going to stop trying.” Yuuri gave him a very grateful look, and Viktor changed the subject. “Will you teach me more Japanese?”

“Sure, if you’ll teach me some Russian. May as well start now so I’ve got some things down before I go.”

“Does Minako speak Russian?”

“I think so. I know she lived in Russia for a while, back when she was still dancing.”

“I’m glad she’s coming with you.”

 

It had only been two weeks. Yet when Yuuri and Minako took Viktor to the airport to go back to Russia, both boys were miserable. “You get out of school at 3:15, right? I’m sure Yakov will give me a break to talk to you, as long as I work hard during morning practice. I wake up early on my rest days anyway, so I’ll make sure to keep that time free.”

“What time do you usually get done with practice?”

“With Europeans coming up… probably around 4 or 5. That’s a bit late to call you…”

“No, it’s not. I’m bad about staying up late anyway. Most days I go to sleep around midnight. When I’ve got school in the morning we won’t be able to talk too long, but Friday and Saturday nights, Nishigori won’t mind if I sleep in a bit.”

Minako laughed. “He will love it. Viktor, you have my number, and Nishigori’s?”

“Yes, Minako. You put them in my phone last week, and sent them to Yakov. And someone else. I didn’t recognize that number.”

“Good. I know I don’t need to tell you to stay in contact with Yuuri, but I expect to hear from you once in a while too.”

“I’ll be sure to do that!”

Saying goodbye was possibly the hardest thing Viktor had ever done, including the time he tried a quad flip. He didn’t want to let Yuuri out of the hug, but they were calling his flight, and he had to. April was only three months away, and there were two major competitions to distract him. Yuuri had mentioned exams – he still wanted to do well on them, just in case. With one last wave, Viktor had to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know I said yesterday probably 2-3 more chapters and then I only wrote one, buuuuut...
> 
> *ducks tomatoes*
> 
> Originally, there was this chapter, and then Yuuri going to Russia, and then a four-year timeskip to see Yuuri's dream. Instead of doing that, I'm just gonna write a sequel that picks up with Yuuri going to Russia, and how that works out for them. With that in mind, it made sense to end here. Hopefully that will make up for the sooner-than-expected ending!
> 
> Also, spring break is over, so I probably won't be updating every day like I have been. My stupid school won't let me write fic all day. They expect me to do things like teach my classes and grade papers and monitor exams. (And Mass Effect: Andromeda comes out Tuesday, cutting further into my writing time.)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments always welcome!


End file.
